TUMOR-CELL MARKERS IN UVEAL MELANOMA - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

Monoclonal antibodies to the melanoma-associated antigens HMB-45 and N KI/C3, and for S-100 protein were applied to archival tissue of 43 int raocular melanomas. Tn addition, the expression of the oncoproteins ra s-p21 (ras 10) and mutated Ha-ras (E 184) as well as neu/erb-B2 (p185) were immunohistochemically evaluated. Incubation with antibodies to H MB-45 and NKI/C3 revealed consistently moderate to strong staining in all cases. Comparable ras-p21 immunostaining with normal epithelium ob served in infiltrating components with a pronounced heterogeneous patt ern, was particulary evident in epitheloid tumor cells. In melanomas o f the spindle cell type B there was a tendency for patients with neu/e rb-B2 positivity to have a worse prognosis. Using the chi-squared test for trend a significant correlation was found between S-100 reactivit y, neu/erb-B2 amplification and the clinical outcome.